The
marsh community overlaps somewhat with the wet meadow, but includes species
that prefer standing water for prolonged periods throughout the growing
season. Woody vegetation accounts for less than 30% of the areal cover.

Marsh
vegetation consists of a variety of herbaceous species, with cattails
representing one of the most common plants. The presence of standing water
throughout the growing season contributes to an extremely high level of
productivity. Hundreds of species of fish, birds, and other wildlife spend
all or part of their lives in marshes.Marshes were once
common throughout Illinois, but today, only a few remnants remain.
Many of these areas are part of larger wetland complexes, occurring along
the border of a pond or within the floodplain of a stream.

The soils in this
community consist of silty, loamy, and clayey materials. Some organic
soils are included. The reaction is typically neutral. The major soils
include ponded phases of Karnak clay, Comfrey loam, Palms muck, Adrian
muck, and Darwin silty clay.

*Used throughout
the community descriptions to indicate the most commonly occurring code
in Illinois